Algeria president wins second term

ALGIERS, Algeria, April 9 (UPI) -- Algerian President Abdel Aziz Boutefliqa won a landslide victory in presidential elections, official reports said Friday.

Interior Minister Noureddin Yazid Zerhouni announced the results of Thursday's ballotting in which Boutefliqa won 84.49 percent of the votes while main challenger Ali Ben Fleiss scored far behind with only 7.9 percent of the ballots.

Zerhouni said the turnout was estimated at 59 percent of Algeria's 10 million eligible voters.

Boutefliqa secured a second five-year-term with an overwhelming majority dismissing the possibility of a second round of elections.